


Halloween Baking, 2017 Style: Spooky Maple Pupcakes!

by phloridas



Series: Adventures with Loki [3]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Baking, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Pets, yes this was inspired by this year's easter baking what did you expect honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 06:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10634157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phloridas/pseuds/phloridas
Summary: When Dan and Phil set out to film their next baking video in their new house, they certainly don't expect a certain fluffball to constantly nose his way in, nearly ruining the entire recipe. Then again, shouldn't that be exactly what they expect?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate title: when will Claire stop writing dog fics (clearly never). And yes, this was heavily inspired by the recent Easter baking video and how I believe 2017 will play out for our favorite fringe-haired nerds. I hope you enjoy!!

“Spooky scary skeletons send shivers down your--”

“Phil, come on, that song is so outdated now! HAPPY HALLOWEEN, mwahahaha!” Dan suddenly jumps into shot, fingers curled into claws, earning an affectionate gaze from Phil beside him. In past years, they probably would have edited that out, or Phil would have somehow stopped himself from wearing his heart so proudly on his sleeve, but things are different now.

Everything is different.

“So you’re going from terrible Halloween to happy Halloween? Is this the new Daniel Howell? Slightly less darkness and despair?”

“No, Phil, I don’t think we’ll be moving on that fast,” Dan giggles. “I think I just ran out of ideas by now, honestly. But anyway! Today, as you may have guessed from the title of the video, we’ll be making...spoooky--maple--cupcakes!” He gestures a bit too forcefully with each of those final few words, accidentally pushing Phil and nearly starting a bro fight as the other shoved him back, tongue between his teeth and eyes crinkled into tiny slits. “They’re perfect for your pancake loving friends, like this guy--” Phil offers up his cutest smile, “as long as you don’t horribly fuck things up like we’ll surely be doing, anyway.”

“Hey, have some faith in me! You never know, these could turn out perfectly--and then who’s gonna be sorry they ever doubted me, hmmm?” Phil bats his eyes in the most ridiculous, but also somehow the cutest, manner.

“Okay, fine. Maybe we will actually do well with these--I mean, those pumpkin spice pumpkin cookies a couple years ago actually looked pretty nice, so who knows, right?”

“Hey Dan, isn’t this the first time we’re filming a baking video in this kitchen?” Phil leans back on the marble countertop behind him, running his hand over the stovetop. Dan watches him for a few seconds before smacking his arm away, fingers twisting among Phil’s for perhaps a second too long. _This guy_.

“Oh my gosh, Phil, you’re right! No more weird oven ledge thing that was somehow really good for decorations but otherwise completely useless. Yep, Halloween baking is getting an upgrade this year, guys! And probably the most important part--we finally have an electronic mixer!”

“Now our arms won’t be falling off while we’re mixing!” Phil cuts in. “Although that would make for a more exciting video.” He flops his arm around like a zombie. _What an idiot._ At this rate, the video won’t be done for hours. Dan’s going to have quite a monster to edit tomorrow.

“I think we’d get immediately flagged for that, Phil. Anyway, this recipe is going to be in two parts, since we’re not just drizzling maple syrup over these things because--while it would be delicious--we’re actually going to be making _maple buttercream frosting_ because we’re giant nerds like that and wanna make it all ourselves, I dunno.” Dan momentarily flashes back to his earlier Waitrose trip with Phil, who was so adorably excited that Dan almost couldn’t stand it at times. “So for that, you will need…”

They zoom through the ingredients, complete with their trademark bants and goofy entertainment. However, once they start adding them together, Dan feels a soft bump against his leg. Of course. He should have known.

“Now, anytime during this recipe, you may attract a certain...furry friend, if you happen to own one.” His smile is unmistakable, and a quick glance from the corner of his eye reveals Phil gazing down at the two of them with nothing but pure, unfiltered affection. Well, their fans were certainly going to eat this up.

Dan reaches down and scoops up the small Shibe, waving his paw at the camera. “Say hi, Loki! Now, you won’t be stealing any of these, will you? Sorry, but no pupcakes for you!” He gives the dog an affectionate rub, holding him out to Phil, who gladly offers him a scratch behind the ears. Loki eats up all the attention, eyes squeezing shut and tongue lolling out in his signature doggy smile that Dan and Phil had so fallen in love with. Dan lowers Loki back down after a few seconds, though, adamant on keeping the video at least semi-concise. They would have plenty of time to play with him later, if they so pleased.

A couple steps later, though, as they beat in the eggs, syrup, and vanilla extract (not for the first time was Dan insanely grateful for this electronic mixer), a strange force suddenly knocks Phil right into the bowl on the counter in front of him. A sharp “Oh!” and a stumble later, the bowl topples down and Dan watches in slow motion as the sticky mixture spills out with it. By some combination of sheer luck and quick reflexes, though, he catches it before it completely empties over the floor--but not before Loki pushes his foxlike little body between them to lick up the mess.

“Phiiilll! What was that? You just lost half our cupcake mixture! Just when I thought you couldn’t get clumsier, too!” Dan yells, bursting out into a hyena laugh.

“It wasn’t me, it was Loki! This little guy, I swear!” He gently pushes the dog out of the way, as neither of them know whether or not any of this is okay for dogs to eat, but he figures they should be safe just in case. (At least, that’s what Dan assumes he’s thinking, and with their freaky mind-meld, he’s sure he’s right.)

“Oh yeah, sure, blame it on the _dog_ , Phil. That’s what they all say. Alright, let’s fast-forward while we re-make half this mixture.” Dan sighs, adding in a snort to lighten the mood. This was literally going to be a beast to edit.

Somehow, the redo is much more pleasant than Dan had expected. Phil is of course to thank for that, as his unending cherubic spirit keeps Dan’s dimples dug into his face like cheerful stone carvings. Not for the first time is Dan incredibly grateful to have such a fantastic baking (and life) partner. He couldn’t imagine doing these baking videos by himself--he probably wouldn’t be able to get through a single one.

Finally, the cupcakes are ready to pop in the oven, and after a grueling twenty minutes spent mostly with Loki pacing throughout the kitchen and whining up at the two young men, the oven finally bursts out in its musical dings. Both men jump up, Phil dashing over to the camera and Dan heading for the oven, causing a commotion of fur and ridiculously long legs.

“And the moment of truth...goddamn, look at these! We actually made some good-looking cupcakes! Well done, Phil!” Dan stares up at him with widened eyes for just a few seconds before straightening up.

“Well, it was partly your work, too! And hey, these ones are actually supposed to be brown, unlike our failed green cupcakes a few years ago.”

“You’re never going to forget that, are you, Phil? Okay, once they cool for a bit, it’s time for everyone’s favourite segment--decorating time!” Dan suddenly jumps into some sort of weird dance, full of pumping arms and flailing legs, almost completely pushing Phil out of shot in his excitement. Phil just shakes his head and walks back over to turn off the camera again and move it to their dining room around the corner.

With Loki now nipping at his feet, gaze intently focused on the delicious-smelling brown cakes right above him, Dan figures he should give the dog at least a little attention while the treats cool. “Hey, boy. I’m sorry but these aren’t for you, okay? Do you wanna play some ball, though? Come on!” He leads the two of them out of the kitchen and down the single step to their lounge, finding a tennis ball beside the sofa. He picks it up, Loki giving him as deep of a focus as he gave the cupcakes just a minute ago.

“You ready? You ready?” He tosses the ball between his hands a couple times, thoroughly enjoying their dog’s wagging tail and trembling body. “Annnddd...go get it!” Dan lobs the ball across the room and Loki takes off like a rocket, zooming past the coffee table and bookshelves to retrieve the ball lodged between the TV stand and the wall. Whoops.

Phil joins them then, resting an arm on Dan’s shoulder. “How did we get lucky enough to find the cutest Shibe in all of London?” he asks, his fingers tickling into Dan’s side. Dan nearly jumps away, but Phil pulls him back with a pout and Dan just can’t resist kissing that rosy face, nipping at Phil’s bottom lip for just a second, drawing out the tiniest of moans. Phil leans in, deepening the kiss, and Dan stumbles back into the couch, about to fall onto it until--

“Hey. You’ve got someone waiting for you.” Phil pulls his gaze pointedly downward, bringing out a giggle from the both of them as Dan finds the caramel and white fluffball sitting patiently at his feet. His eyes flick between both men, wondering who will be the one to continue the fun. Dan reluctantly crouches down and repeats his game, taking a simple joy in the dog’s easy amusement. Phil warms his side with both body heat and a soft smile. It brings out the smile lines that Dan so dearly loves, and he traces his finger along one for a second, enjoying the way it deepens as Phil tilts his head.

“I don’t know what it is about baking videos that makes you so cute to me, but you just are. So. Damn. Cute. It must be the black jumper. Black’s a really good colour on you, you know, Phil.”

“Oh, I know.” Phil’s grin turns cocky for just a second before they both crack up softly.

“You spoon. You know what, fine, it’s a horrible colour on you. Never wear it again, you little shit.”

Phil just shoves Dan with a playful glint in his eyes. They play a few more (slightly distracted) rounds of fetch before they decide that the cupcakes must be cool and they can proceed with decorating. He’s not ready to be slightly more professional and entertaining for the sake of the camera. Then again, he realises, he doesn’t have to be _that_ professional, thanks to whatever was in them that convinced him to post that Monster Pops video a year ago, and the mutual agreement they had come to since then that they shouldn’t hide so much anymore. And what a good decision it was, as it truly did create a much more relaxed atmosphere for everyone involved.

“Alright, guys. We’ve got the cupcakes, we’ve got the frosting, we’ve got the sweets and the icing--you know what that means. We’re about to get all decorate-y in this bitch.” Dan reaches straight for the Reese’s Pieces, then realises. “Wait a minute. Phil--did you eat some of the Reese’s Pieces?”

“I may have had a few.” He hides his face as Dan goes at him with a series of pokes all down his side, stopping at his hip with a highly suggestive smirk.

“Is it even worth it for me to yell at you for eating the ingredients, Phil?”

“No, I’m sorry, I just can’t stop myself! Okay, anyway, the first thing we’re gonna do is frost these babies with the maple butter frosting that I kind of just want to eat straight out of the bag, honestly.” Phil picks up the piping bag with a sneaky grin and Dan steels himself, ready to intervene if necessary.

“Phil, can I really trust you with that thing? Phil…?” Phil raises the piping bag to his mouth, poking his tongue out little by little. “Okay, give that to me, you little…” Dan doesn’t finish his sentence as he snatches the white bag out of Phil’s hand, the other pouting for just a second before bursting into giggles.

“Oh yeah, and one thing you can do with these is poke a little dimple into your frosting so that you can add some more maple syrup--”

“Which we are definitely going to do because we clearly _need to go sweeter!_ ” Phil deepens his voice for dramatic effect. “And also because if anyone even suggests extra syrup, you can absolutely count me in. So anyway, to do this, you’re going to squeeze the frosting onto your cake--” Phil did so, albeit rather messily--“and press a little dimple into it with your thumb. Just like this little guy right here!” Phil pokes Dan’s cheek, where his dimple is already popping out, as it always seems to do when he’s with Phil.

“Yes, just like my face,” Dan sighs. He would never understand Phil’s obsession with the tiny craters in his cheeks, but a part of him loves it all the same. Phil grabs the syrup bottle and tips it over, pouring just a bit into the little dip in the frosting--but then it starts flowing much faster, down the cupcake and nearly onto the wooden table before Phil flips it right side up again with a slight grimace.

“Phil, what even--how--that barely even looks like a cupcake! It looks like a monster stepped in it and slipped all over the place and then fell on its ass.”

“Hey, it’s a work of art! In the monster world, they would probably worship this cake as their overlord.” Phil dips a finger in the syrupy frosting and licks it, smugness written all over his face.

“Sure, Phil, whatever you say,” Dan laughs, proceeding to his first cupcake. In true Dan tradition, he squeezes a bit of frosting into a plastic bowl to dye green and begins his ogrey creation. Beside him, Phil is contentedly hard at work on a vampire, apparently attempting to use the syrup dripping from the cupcake as blood dribbling out of its mouth.

Midway through the decorating, though, a soft jingling and snuffling signals Loki’s arrival yet again, and Dan pointedly moves the sugary treats away from the edge of the table. Phil isn’t quite so fast, though, and by some feat of his noodley arms, ends up knocking over a bottle of edible glitter, spilling it all over the carpet.

“Phiiilll!” Dan groans, not for the first time that day. “Well, looks like Loki here is going to have a field day!” And he sure was, having nearly cleared the carpet already with his long tongue and inching dangerously close to the tiny plastic tub somehow still holding a bit of red glitter. “Let’s fast forward while we clean up Phil’s mess--” Dan glanced pointedly over at the slightly bashful man beside him--”and finish this decorating!”

Many giggles and finger brushes were exchanged throughout the whole cleaning up debacle, Loki letting out a couple indignant barks at being forcibly removed from his unexpected treat.

Eventually, they return to the cupcakes and amidst a flurry of banter and shared smiles, and emerge with twelve--well, not so much masterpieces, but delicious-looking treats all the same: a vampire, a Shrek, a mummy, a pumpkin, something that Dan swears is the demogorgon from _Stranger Things_ but more closely resembles a road accident, a ghost, a skeleton (that Phil insists is Papyrus from Undertale but Dan sure doesn’t see it), a spider, something that’s apparently a werewolf according to Phil but to Dan just looks like a hideous mess, a witch, some sort of hideously deformed beast (at least that’s what Dan calls it--really, it was just his attempt at creating his favourite Evan Peters _AHS_ character), and a hobbit (made by Phil, who apparently still refuses to cease his celebrations of Dan’s natural hair).

“So, I’d say these turned out pretty well, don’t you, Phil? Well, besides the werewolf--now that’s just crap,” Dan laughs, quickly joined by Phil.

“Okay, fine. Hey, the effort is there. I tried, guys!”

“See? He _tried!_ Well done, Phil! Now I do believe it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Are you ready, Phil? I don’t think I’m ready.” Dan picks up his pride and joy, the Shrek cupcake, while Phil goes in for the hobbit. “On the count of three: One...two...three!” And he takes the first bite, suddenly awash in a heaven of sugar and maple syrup. In true Dan fashion, he unleashes a highly suggestive moan, closing his eyes and leaning back in his plastic chair, very nearly into Phil. “These are...oh my god, I think they’re the best thing we’ve ever baked! Even better than the pumpkin spiced pumpkin cookies, I daresay,” Dan mumbles around a mouthful of gooey sweetness.

“I think I wanna marry these cakes,” Phil adds, voice equally distorted by the food.

“The maple syrup! The nuts! You can taste every bit of it and--oh God, here’s Dan’s orgasm face again,” Dan sighs into the final Shreky bite.

Phil just shakes his head behind Dan’s phone, having already devoured the hobbit with similar feelings of excitement. “Now for what you all clicked on the video for--come on, you know it, I know it.” Dan selects the vampire cake and dances it towards Phil’s mouth. “Open wide, Daddy!” Dan slowly turns to the camera, his smirk dripping with sarcasm, while Phil just giggles breathlessly. He shoves the cupcake right into Phil’s face, the other’s eyes bugging out as he nearly chokes at the sudden impact. A second later, though, Phil’s eyebrows jump up as he snatches up the pumpkin cake and pushes it right into Dan’s face.

“Oh you’re in for it now, Phil!” But Dan’s threat goes unfulfilled, as he’s too busy reveling once again in the delectable dessert.

Just as suddenly as Phil attacked him with the cupcake, though, Dan feels a cold finger brushing alongside the corner of his mouth. A wide-eyed glance to his right reveals a gleeful Phil popping his index finger back in his mouth with a smug face that Dan is just _dying_ to kiss.

 _Well, two can play at that game,_ he thinks, and swipes an errant bit of maple frosting off Phil’s face. Their eyes remain locked for a few seconds in challenge, Dan fighting everything in him to refrain from pulling Phil’s face towards his and never letting go, until Dan finally breaks contact and focuses back on the camera.

“So those were the spooky maple cupcakes! I’d say we actually did pretty well with these, didn’t we?”

“Yeah!” Phil agrees. “A baking creation that wasn’t actually a flop! What is happening to Dan and Phil?”

“Who knows? Hey, maybe we can keep up this streak next year--subscribe to find out!” Dan jokes before launching into his endscreen speech.

“...and you can click on this little rascal Loki here,” Dan scoops up the dog who had already returned to their feet, “to subscribe to our gaming channel, where we have just finished our fourth spooky week, where we played a whole week of horror games and I didn’t actually fall out of my chair this time!”

“He didn’t fall out!” Phil adds simultaneously, nodding in approval. Dan finishes his spiel with a reminder to preorder Phil’s new novel and to “Have a spooooky Halloween, mwahahaha!” and skirts around the dog and the table to switch off the camera.

“So, I’d say that went pretty good, right?” he asks, once the two men have gathered both the filming and decorating equipment and are on their way back to the kitchen. “Although it’s going to be an absolute beast to edit later.”

“Hey, don’t even worry about that tonight,” Phil runs his free hand down Dan’s arm, a gesture that never fails to calm his heart and send it racing at the exact same time. “You know what, how about we have a nice family night on the couch, maybe watch some _Stranger Things_ season two, see if Loki wants to join us?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Dan grins, brushing his lips against Phil’s rosy cheek and resuming his cleaning with a new spring in his step. He definitely deserved some domestic time with Phil tonight--somehow, that man knew just what he needed before Dan himself did, which was just another addition to the extensive list of reasons why he had no choice but to be with him forever. _Then again,_ Dan thinks with a joyful tingle running down his spine, _that’s not really such a bad bargain, is it?_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this little bit of baking fluff! You can always find me over at [phloridas](http://phloridas.tumblr.com) on Tumblr, where I'm currently still screaming about Dan Howell's ripped jeans (I mean, did you SEE that outfit?? King of fashion, I'm telling you). I hope you're having a fantastic day/night wherever you are and if not, hopefully this made it a little better. :)


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